Specifications:Designed for use with full frame digital cameras. May also be used with smaller APS-c size sensors with a corresponding effective increase in focal length to about 127.5mm with most cameras
HSM (Hyper-Sonic Motor) ensure a quiet, high speed autofocus and full-time manual focusing capability
SLD (Special low Dispersion) glass element and glass mold elements for superior optical performance
Minimum focusing distance of 33.5

This lens is a keeper in my arsenal. I used to have the Canon 1,2L II for a long time, then the 1,8 and now I have the Sigma which I find the best of them all. In my opinion it is the best mechanically and optically close to the L lens (better then the 1,8). Yes, the 1,2 L is slightly finer optically but it is very heavy, very expensive and I donīt like it mechanically- the front part with the hood rotates and the hood is actually very large - so much so that itīs quite problematic to accomodate in my bag. Also, it really is heavy and I didnīt like to take it with me for things like walking with the kids. The Siggy, on the other hand, is very reasonably sized without being too small (like the Canon f1,8 is- which can be good but to me it just doesnīt look like a serious lens:-))and I donīt hesitate to take it with me wherever I go. The AF is surprisingly good for a Sigma (or for any lens) and the tracking ability really surprised me. I would never even attempt to AF track anything with the Canon 1,2 L :-) but the Sigma has no problems with my 5d III. The CA on the Sigma can be really bad if you shoot into the light at f1,4. However, it is a common problem of all these 85mm lenses and it can be dealt with in LR relatively easily. So, of all the AF options available for Canon at the moment I find the Sigma the best. It is already sharp at f1,4 but I mostly use it at f1,8 where it is just a tiny bit better overall and I have been very happy with it. Highly recomended.

May 21, 2015

Robin SmithOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Dec 19, 2012Location: United StatesPosts: 191

Review Date: May 14, 2015

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $850.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very nice image quality and great bokeh. Good value compared to competitors

Cons:

Color fringing f1.4 to f2
Not 100% reliable AF

This is a better lens than the Canon 85mm f1.8 as it is sharper at equivalent apertures. The sharpness is excellent at f1.4 although out of focus areas exhibit considerable color fringing. This is not at all unusual: the Canon 85mm f1.8 and 100mm f2 do too. The AF is pretty good, although about 10% of the time I find it misfocuses for reasons that are unclear to me. I find it excellent on AI Servo, but on one shot AF, I take extra care with a 5DII and 6D. If you want a fast 85mm with excellent bokeh for portraits and other small depth of focus effects this is a great lens, and much better value than the 85mm f1.2L. I found it had demonstrably better image quality at wider apertures than the 85 f1.8 too.

Interestingly, this lens does not have as good imagery as the 135mm L, which has much less color fringing wide open; but these are different focal lengths, and the 85 is a stop faster, and many find an 85mm a more useful focal length.

So, for a classic portrait lens, I recommend this strongly. It could be improved though - perhaps the forthcoming Art lens will do this. As it stands though, this is still a very nice lens.

May 14, 2015

aestivaOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 17, 2009Location: NetherlandsPosts: 0

Review Date: Nov 12, 2014

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9

Pros:

As a full time wedding photographer in the Netherland, I use this lens a lot. The difference between my 85 1.2L II is that this lens doesn't has the same amazing bokeh as de outstanding 85 1.2L II, but!
It's cheaper
Bokeh is still impressive and beats a lot of other lenses
Does't has de CA that the 85 1.8 has
Has a lot faster focus than my 85 1.2L II but a little slower than the 85 1.8.
I only use de 85 1.2L II when it has to otherwise I only use this amazing lens
And this one has a nice weight and filter size.
After f2.0 this lens is very sharp

Cons:

Doesn't feel as solid as the L of art lenses.
Almost every lens I owned needed an AF correction
Don't use this lens in the rain!

I recommend this lens more than my 85 1.2L II! Even when my L has a nicer bokeh. This doesn't mean the bokeh isn't good! It still beats a lot of other lenses. The AF is very fast.

Only buy the 1.2L when you need it in rain or for the amazing bokeh. Otherwise this Sigma.

Creamy bokeh, very sharp at 1.4. Much cheaper than the Keg II. Fast autofocus.

Cons:

HSM unit may not last

I bought over a very mint looking, scratch-free, user-mark-free lens from someone who bought first hand in Nov 2011 from Hong Kong with 1 year Sigma International warranty. Tested on the spot was ok. Paid cash and placed it in the car boot. In the evening, I got off from work and after dinner, took out the lens to mount it and lens could hardly autofocus and took 10s to focus on anything. Next morning, i brought it to Sigma Marketing in Singapore and surprisingly, the lens started autofocusing.

Intermittence issues I guess with the HSM. Was quoted $170 to replace the lens barrel that housed the HSM unit.

Thank goodness the seller agreed to foot $125 of the repairs whilst I did all the leg work. Took only 3 business days to repair and the lens is now as good as new, cleaned, re-calibrated.

Performance-wise, lens is super sharp, produces pics with a 'wow' look from that super creamy bokeh with a '3D' pop. Lens focuses way faster on my 6D than the Canon 85 f1.2L v1 (keg I) I first had in 2007 and on my 1dmk2, i mean really way faster.

At just slightly more than 1/3 the price of the Keg II, I would take this lens anytime over the Canon, which i missed a lot of shots indoors due to the AF.

Picture quality-wise, the Keg I's bokeh equal if not just slightly better. Sharpness-wise, the Sigma is sharper at 1.4 than Canon at 1.2, but slightly.

The Sigma does produce warmer colors out of cam and I need to correct the green color channel vs the Canon's more neutral colors.

But for the cost, practical use, the Sigma wins hands down and my heart. Perhaps it has won me over to consider the Sigma 35 f1.4 ART over the Canon 35L.

Thats is, without duby, one of the best portrait/wedding lenses. The bokeh is simply awesome, and the IQ is very decent @f/1.4, great at f2 and excellent at f2.8. The compromise price/performance is very good.

The only significant problem might be the differences on the AF quality between samples (I feel lucky to get a great sample) and the longitudinal CA, but this can be corrected with lightroom/camera raw in just a few seconds.

Jan 9, 2014

rbussmannOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Apr 11, 2013Location: United StatesPosts: 0

Review Date: May 14, 2013

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $799.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharp, built, weight, fast AF

Cons:

Hood could be better

Until recently I have been rather critical with Sigma lenses, especially the built quality and sharpness were often rather poor. Sigma seems to have made great progress in recent years. This is a great lens, built like a tank (just the hood could be a bit better), very sharp center wide open, corners can be a bit soft, but for main application this matters little. AF is very fast, and I have experiences very little hunting, even under difficult light conditions. Great price!

May 14, 2013

PhotonicOfflineBuy and Sell: On

Registered: Apr 24, 2003Location: United StatesPosts: 685

Review Date: Mar 7, 2013

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Sharpness equal to Canon 85mm f/1.2L II, focus speed, weight, price.

Cons:

Over time the ratio of Sigma to Canon glass that I own has been steadily inching upwards. It all started with the Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro (which I have since sold and moved back to the Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS macro) and continued with the 120-300mm f/2.8 (which replaced my Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS), 300-800mm f/5.6 (which replaced my Canon 500mm f/4 IS, and 50mm f/1.4 (which replaced both my Canon 50mm f/1.4 and Canon 50mm f/1.2L). This lens has just displaced my Canon 85mm f/1.2L II which I have sold. To my eye, the Sigma is optically every bit the equal of the Canon with much faster auto focus and much lower weight at a substantially lower price point. I strongly suspect that Sigma will give this lens an exterior only make-over and add USB firmware update/micro focus adjust in the near future. I am also guessing they will raise the price. If they keep the same optical formula, as was the case when they updated the 120-300mm, I think this version may remain the best value in the 85mm market if your primary consideration is IQ.

I hope Canon sits up and takes notice. Sigma seems to have gotten their quality control act together and is starting to offer some really compelling value propositions.

Mar 7, 2013

rpavichOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 13, 2013Location: United StatesPosts: 0

Review Date: Feb 13, 2013

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Very nice lens...sharp wide open, and built like a tank.

Cons:

None.

I have to say that I was hesitant to play the Sigma lottery for an older lens like this...I just bought their 35mm (new design) and I was so impressed, I thought I'd try this lens.

I'm also impressed with this great lens....tack sharp wide open...great saturation...just a great lens.

I'm an "L" lens freak and I also own a 135mm f/2 so I have a good idea of what good IQ and sharpness looks like...and this really rivals it.

When they revamp this lens to the new standards...I'm buying that one too!

Feb 13, 2013

jonbrachOfflineImage Upload: On

Registered: Dec 22, 2004Location: United StatesPosts: 913

Review Date: Aug 30, 2012

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $779.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

build,AF speed,sharp,fair price

Cons:

none to speak of

I have not been a big fan of Sigma lenses until I tried this lens.I bought an outstanding copy from a trusted member here and have been very impressed.The lens is extremely sharp wide open and focuses faster than the great Canon 85L...I suppose those who got copies with focus problems might disagree but I think this is an outstanding value lens.If Sigma could do away with the consistency issues they seem to have from lens to lens I think they might well make inroads into the market on a greater scale.That said,if you get a good copy of this lens it is a big winner!

Aug 30, 2012

FulcrumOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: May 23, 2008Location: FinlandPosts: 3

Review Date: Jul 25, 2012

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Very sharp form f/2.0 onwards. Fastest focusing 85mm I have met. Bokeh is awesome at large apertures.

Cons:

AF hunts too much.

This one is a winner from Sigma. The AF is very, very fast. And the lens is a lot sharper @ f/2.0 than the AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1.4G!

Sure, the AF misses sometimes and hunts a bit too much even in good light, but at least that is something you can fix with a flick of the wrist. Full time manual focus override is very nice indeed.

And this one is very nice in bad weather as well. Very well sealed, very sharp lens with an extremely pleasing bokeh at large apertures.

front element can get scratched easily, colors are not as good as the Canon L

I bought this lens to replace my Canon 85 1.2L which I sold last year to a friend who insisted on buying it. The Canon 85L was optically spectacular, but I find it too bulky, cumbersome and too slow for everyday use. And also it feels somewhat fragile because of the exposed rear element.
I read a lot of good reviews about the Sigma 85 1.4 and decided to give it a try. I used it with my 5Dmk3 and here are a few observations and comparisons vs the Canon 85L:

1. The lens is very sharp wide open, optically it is as good as the Canon 85L at the same apertures.
2. The colors are slightly muted and warmer compared to the images from the 85L.
3. The build feels solid and does not have an exposed rear element
4. The AF is accurate and I did not experience any compatibility issues with my 5Dmk3.
5. It focuses faster than the 85L
6. It is cheaper (cost $1200 less than the 85L)
7. The bokeh is comparable to the 85L (although IMHO the Canon is slightly better)

I would have rated this lens 10 if not for one major glitch I encountered with it during field use: the front element of the lens can get scratched easily (I don't use protective filters as they can degrade image quality). It happend one day when I was changing lenses, I was in a hurry so I just put the lens in my bag without a lens cap - unfortunately it hit the bottom part of my 580EXII flash - the metal part brushed against the front glass of the lens causing a very small scratch that I cannot remove. I have have had a similar scenario with my other L lenses and did not have the front element scratched so easily (I guess canon L-series glass are also more durable).

Nonetheless, even with the tiny scratch in the front, the performance of the lens was not affected and it is still very sharp. The lens is a good value for its price and performance.
But then, should anyone consider buying this lens, they just have to be careful with the front element (or just use a protective filter).

I love this lens. For candids or formal portraits I can't imagine there is anything better. I haven't tried the Canon counterpart, but I have studied images taken with it and, apart from the weather sealing, I doubt it has anything I would pay an extra Ģ700 for.

Good Sigma glass is terrific value for money, but their QC leaves a bit to be desired. That said, I don't understand people giving a 2 just because they have a faulty copy. It would be much more helpful to get it fixed first (and it must be a faulty one judging by all other reviews) and then review it properly and, perhaps, the service?

Jun 2, 2012

Mike MahoneyOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 8, 2004Location: CanadaPosts: 5443

Review Date: Jun 2, 2012

Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 2

Pros:

Build quality

Cons:

Inconsistent focus

This is a well made lens and the images are very nice if and when you get one in focus.

And the inconsistent focus cannot be fixed by micro adjusting because the lens does not focus consistently. So even if you do adjust it to be good focus it will still be out-of-focus on the next shot, or the one after. Basically a useless lens for anyone who needs to have accurately focused shots.

Excellent value. Significantly better all around than the Canon 85 f1.8 USM. Gets you comparable image quality to the 85L II (which I have used several times) but with much much faster focusing speeds, all at a significantly lower price point compared to the 85L II.

Build quality is pretty good, I do not like the soft touch finish at all. The copy I rented was really good, except at one point towards the end of a two day outdoor shoot the focus got stuck. So it's not designed for work in rougher weather conditions. Not unexpected, really.

At the end of the day, I was impressed with this lens enough that I plan to purchase my own copy very soon (buying primes!).

No weather sealing (but no big deal), ever so slightly less pop (contrast) compared to Nikon's new 85G

This lens is 90-95% of the newer Nikon 85 f/1.4 G. But at half the price.

Great optics, fast and silent AF, dreamy bokeh. I had the Nikon 84 f/1.4 AF-D, and needed the upgrade for faster focusing... Researched a long time, and tried both... the Sigma give me 200% more bang for my $$.

It does lack weather sealing, but my use of this lens will not coincide with foul weather anyways, so it's a non-issue for me.

The price has gone up by a good bit since I bought it, but even so, it's a very great lens for the price, esp when comparing with the Nikon 85G.